


Off Script

by TinCanTelephone



Series: Perfection is Overrated [2]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkwardness, Dorks in Love, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Fun, Light Angst, Some Humor, cassian has no chill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 14:55:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13273842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinCanTelephone/pseuds/TinCanTelephone
Summary: "Cassian!" Leia snapped her fingers in his face. "If you want a relationship with her, it's important to establish this sort of thing.""Sorry! Sorry, yes. You're right. I should ask her. I mean, take her out. I mean, ask her out. Somewhere nice. Not my room."Cassian's attempt to ask Jyn on a date goes a bit pear-shaped.





	Off Script

**Author's Note:**

> AKA, not exactly a first date story, but close.
> 
> Still, this is especially for everyone who's been following Perfection is Overrated and asked for a First Date story! (@Boycottlove, @Raptyde, and @RealNorwegian in particular)
> 
> To everyone new to the series, you don't have to read the prequel to this, "Danger Night," to understand it, but it might help. :)

In Cassian's defense, Jyn definitely started it. That said, he may have let it go too far.

It was hard to concentrate on Leia through eyes that were tearing up with laughter and the sound of Jyn laughing in the hallway right next to him, but he could make out her 'disapproving face' and what he couldn't see he definitely heard.

"Am I to understand," she said, hands on her hips and left eyebrow almost touching her hairline. "That _this_ is my noise complaint?"

Jyn tried to explain. She held her arms up, hands in fists, to demonstrate. "It was an Eagle." She immediately dissolved into giggles again and Cassian had to clutch the wall to keep from sinking back onto his knees. Although the gesture and the way she said it was so cute if he could see straight he might just sink down again to wrap his arms around her and kiss her.

 

The thing is, they _had_ been watching old cartoons on YouTube in his room with her very useful headphone splitter until Jyn, in a fit of competitiveness, challenged him to arm wrestle. He hesitated, but she made a compelling argument ("Jeez, Cassian, I won't _break_ , see?" She punched him in the arm. " _Ow_.") and they pulled up his desk chair and knelt on either side, right arms raised. They were nearly evenly matched, but eventually he won and she wouldn't let it go.

"Non-dominant hand." Without breaking eye contact, she put her left elbow on the chair.

He winced when he heard her arm against the wood but she didn't flinch. _Sheesh._ He put up his left elbow and grasped her hand.

After a hard-fought battle, the back of his hand met the chair and she gloated by leaning forward saying, "Do you see what you get? Do you see what you get when you mess with a _warrior?"_

Cassian sat back and shook out his arm. "Is that line from _Scrubs_?"

She paused and looked up at him. "You know that show?"

Cassian grinned and pulled out a plastic bin from under his bed, where he pulled out the DVDs of Seasons 1 through 3.

"Oh my God, that's what we're watching next." Jyn leapt up and there was a scramble to get back onto his bed and untangle their headphones.

Four episodes later, Turk was careening around with J.D. on his back yelling, "Eagllllle!"

Between laughter and sips of Cassian's craft beer, Jyn glanced up at him and said, "Not gonna lie, that looks like _so_ much fun."

Their eyes met and there was a brief stand-off. Cassian shook his head, although he couldn't quite keep the smile off his lips. "No."

Jyn leaned forward. "…Please?"

And it really wasn't fair, when she looked at him like that, eyebrows pushed together and lips pouted. He liked to think he was uncommonly strong, that he resisted for as long as he did. "Okay. One time."

They checked to see that there was no one in the hallway and stepped out in their sock feet.

"I'm not lifting you over my shoulders," Cassian said, glancing up at the low ceiling.

She nodded. "No problem, just a piggy-back ride."

"And I'm not spinning you around. It's too narrow."

"Of course." She agreed easily, but he could tell she was already riding the high of getting her way.

"Okay." He crouched down in front of her and held his arms away from his body so she could climb on.

And then he was running. He really should have better prepared himself for the feeling of Jyn Erso's thighs around his waist and her arms at his neck. But even that might not have helped once he felt her laughing against his back and her breath next to his ear.

He originally said only one time around the square hallway, but he was quickly hooked on the sound of her laughter and her voice when she said, "Eaglllllle!" So he'd lost track of the number of circuits he'd done when he took a corner too fast and stumbled.

Jyn yelped and jerked forward, sending him off balance and both of them tumbling to the floor. After a brief visual confirmation that neither was seriously injured, they cracked up and contented themselves with rolling around on the floor laughing.

 

Which is how Leia found them, less than five minutes later. Still gasping for breath, Cassian pushed himself upright to face her.

"Sorry, Leia. I think we've gotten it all out of our system."

"Yeah, sorry." Jyn panted as she climbed to her feet. "What time is it?"

Leia checked the RA phone. "Almost 11:30."

"Shit, I should head back. I have an early class." Cassian felt his heart sink until she tilted her head back toward him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He smiled. "Definitely." He leaned down to briefly kiss her goodbye, but she grabbed onto his neck and held him there. He sank into it, hands sliding around her waist and mouth opening against hers. She just smelled so _good_ and she felt so wonderful against him and he was so happy right now he just wanted to stay like this indefinitely, possibly forever.

Leia cleared her throat and Cassian remembered where they were.

He coughed and stepped away from Jyn. "Right. Sorry." He tried to keep his eyes on Leia, who was staring resolutely at the ceiling and looked like she wanted to shake them, but he was weak and hopeless, so he glanced back atJyn. He felt the sappy smile coming back. "See you tomorrow."

She was smiling too. "Yeah."

Leia sighed loudly. "Oh my God, you already said that."

Cassian felt his face getting warm. "Sorry."

Leia gave them a look that was probably supposed to be stern but didn't quite get there. "Just try to keep it down."

"Yes ma'am." Jyn snapped an exaggerated salute.

Leia rolled her eyes and stalked away.

Jyn twisted back to Cassian. "Think she'll forgive you?"

"Who knows?" He pulled her back into him, just to have her in his arms. "She's not here now," he reminded her, so he could kiss her again uninterrupted.

 

* * *

 

He apologized properly to Leia when he saw her after Advanced Foreign Policy. "Again, I'm really sorry about the noise complaint. I understand if you had to write us up, but please don't get Jyn into too much trouble, I know it's my first offense but I don't know about her–"

Leia rolled her eyes and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

"Also sorry about the… you know." _PDA_. "I guess we just got caught up in the moment and–"

"Cassian, it's fine."

Cassian paused at the door to the political science building to put on his scarf. "Really?"

Leia waited for him. "Yeah." She paused. "It was actually really cute." Her head was tilted and she looked one step away from _awww_ -ing at him.

He felt his neck burning and pushed the door open. "Thanks." He began walking quickly across the quad.

Leia laughed and jogged to catch up with him. "No wait, sorry, but it was. It's just–"

He didn't turn his head, but he didn't try to interrupt her.

"You guys looked so _happy_ and– Cassian, I have never seen you like this around a girl, _never_. Like, I knew you were really into her but, you're _really_ into her."

"Yeah. Well." He couldn't exactly deny it.

"Have you been on a real date yet?"

"What?"

"You know, like, at a restaurant or something."

"…No. I don't know. We just watch YouTube or movies in my room most of the time."

"You should take her to a movie not in your room."

"We are dating."

"Does _she_ know that?"

Cassian paused. It occurred to him that he wasn't sure what Jyn thought this relationship was. Was it just a casual fling for her? Did she think of it as long-term? Did she _want_ it to be long-term? The thought made his insides freeze up. Of course, if she didn't, he'd have to respect her decision but he didn't want to think about what it would be like– to know he could feel this way with someone else and then have it just… _gone_.

"Cassian? Cassian."

Shit, Leia was talking again. "Sorry, what?" They'd both stopped walking and he turned to face her.

"You should just _talk_ to her. You know, like you do on a _date_."

"But what if–" _What if she doesn't want the same things? What if she never will? What if I've been deluding myself? What if–_

"Cassian!" Leia snapped her fingers in his face. "If you want a relationship with her, it's important to establish this sort of thing."

"Sorry! Sorry, yes. You're right. I should ask her. I mean, take her out. I mean, ask her out. Somewhere nice. Not my room." His heart was already pounding at the idea. Where would they go? He liked the Thai place in town but what if she didn't like Thai? What if she didn't like _Mexican_?

Leia sighed. "Based on my own personal observations, I think she'll say yes. And you guys will be completely… on the same page."

"Right. Right."

"And if not…" She met his eyes. "I _promise_ I will be there for you and we can talk about it."

Cassian didn't want to think about that possibility, or the fact that he would need someone to 'be there for him,' but he nodded stiffly. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Then they kept walking as if everything was normal, although Cassian was too lost in thoughts of restaurants and movies and Jyn to really pay attention to what was in front of him.

 

In a perfect world, Cassian would have spent over a week planning the way he would ask Jyn out on a date. Leia could roll her eyes all she wanted, but this was _important_ , dammit, he couldn't just go in unprepared.

However, an examination of his calendar revealed that there was only one weekend left before Thanksgiving break, and then everyone would be wrapped up in their end-of-semester projects. Jyn had been talking about her junior project proposal, not that he understood much of what she said, and he himself had close to 30 pages of writing to do by the end of finals week.

Writing which he probably _should_ be working on, holed up in a study room with Wedge. Who was getting suspicious after thirty minutes went by and Cassian hadn't glanced at his textbooks.

He leaned over the table. "What're you working on?"

Cassian slammed his notebook shut. "Nothing."

Wedge's eyebrows shot up. "Really, Cass? I thought you were a better liar."

Cassian felt his face get hot. "I'm just… preparing for something else."

"What?"

"It's not important." He opened a random textbook and hoped Wedge would drop it.

Wedge flicked his pen across the table. "Come on, don't give me that."

Cassian batted the pen away and ignored him. He couldn't say he was really absorbing the details of criminal prosecution, but he tried to look very busy.

"Fine, I'll just ask Leia."

Cassian's head snapped up.

"Oh my God, is it _about_ Leia? Are you guys finally dating?"

"What? No." Cassian grimaced. "Why does everyone think we should be dating?"

"I don't know, maybe because you literally spend _all_ your time together."

Cassian shrugged. "We're friends. Besides, she's dating Han– crap." He winced. Leia was going to kill him. "Please don't tell anyone," he muttered, even though the damage was already done. The engineering students were notorious gossips.

Wedge was practically bouncing in his seat. "She's dating _Han Solo?_ _That_ guy?"

"Yeah, but don't–"

"Man, you have got _all_ the latest news. We should hang out more often."

Cassian was just thinking they should do the opposite.

"No, wait, you distracted me. What were you writing in that notebook? Before you answer, know that if I think you're lying, I'm going straight to your BFF, Leia."

He glared. "I'm just doing some planning."

"Planning for what?"

Cassian stared at his lap and wished the ground would just open up and swallow him. "ToaskJynonadate."

"I'm sorry, what's that?"

"It's how I'm going to ask Jyn on a date," he muttered through his teeth.

Wedge leaned back. "Uh- _huh_." He thought about it. "Jyn who? Erso?"

"You know her?" Jesus, how did everyone know this girl except him?

Wedge shrugged. "Had an electronics class or something with her. Short, but kinda scary. Super smart." He raised an eyebrow. "Cute, too."

Cassian frowned. "We've been hanging out."

"Oh, is that what the kids are calling it now?"

"Ha ha."

Wedge reached for the notebook. "What are you, writing a script or something for when you ask her to get pizza with you?"

Cassian pulled it away. "Was English _your_ second language?"

Wedge backed off and raised his arms. "Sorry, man. Plan away."

Cassian fought the sudden, ridiculous urge to bite his nails, a habit he thought he kicked in high school. "I just don't want to screw this up."

Christ, now Antilles looked _concerned_. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."

This was becoming increasingly nerve-wracking. Cassian wondered how rude it would be if he just stood up and left.

"Erso's nice. Like, 90% she'll say yes."

 _Maybe. But maybe not_. Cassian stood and started to pack up his stuff. Clearly this was not a productive environment.

Wedge threw up his arms. "What're you–? Cassian, come on. I'm sorry. I'll shut up about it, promise."

"It's fine. I just have to go." He was already nervous at the _thought_ of talking to Jyn and this wasn't helping. The stakes felt incredibly high in a way that seriously scared him. He had become so emotionally invested without even realizing it, and he didn't know if he could come back from it.

 

That evening, he was going over the words in his notebook for the fourth time when Jyn arrived. She tossed her bag on top of the clothes on his folding chair and flopped onto the bed beside him. He closed is notebook and shoved it under his pillow.

She rested her chin on his shoulder. "What'cha working on?"

"School stuff. Nothing interesting."

She gave a mock gasp and he swallowed at the rush of air on his neck. "Do you mean to tell me that analyzing the details of defense rests isn't deeply fascinating?"

He turned to her and leaned back, pulling her on top of him. "What would you know about it? I don't think you know what 'defense rests' means."

"Mmm, maybe not." She leaned down and kissed him, sliding her arms under him to press her hands to his shoulder blades.

He pulled her closer and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, but before he could she moved on to his jaw and he gasped. He could feel the metal spirals of notebook through his thin pillow, a reminder of what he meant to do tonight, butthen her lips and tongue met his neck and it was all he could focus on.

She was squirming on top of him, rolling her hips into his. He found her lips again and moved his hands up her thighs. She groaned into his mouth and he resisted the urge to do the same. He was rapidly losing control, at this rate he'd never be coherent enough to remember what he wrote in the notebook.

He broke the kiss and put his hands on her shoulders. "Wait."

"What is it?" There was still a wolfish grin on her face as she ran her hands down his chest, then slid them under his shirt.

His breath stuttered and he closed his eyes, but that only made it worse. "I– Jyn–" God, this wasn't _fair_. Nothing should feel this _good_.

"Yes?" She leaned down again and nipped at his earlobe.

He groaned. Static. That's what his mind felt like right now. His thoughts were garbled and disorganized and he couldn't concentrate, especially as her hands wandered lower– "Wait, stop." He grabbed her wrists and she froze.

"What?"

"I– I don't–" He tried desperately to find his train of thought but the words just wouldn't come.

"I'm clean and on the pill if you don't have a condom." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you?"

"No, that's not what I– I mean, yes I am, but–" _Shitshitshit_ what was he going to _say_? He tried to collect himself.

"Then what's the problem?" Doubt was creeping into her voice.

He let go of her legs to run his hands through his hair. This was all wrong, she shouldn't be doubting anything.

"Cassian?" She shifted and moved as if to climb off of him.

He let her, thinking this would help him regain some control. He sat up and moved back, giving her room to sit across from him on the bed. After a few more deep breaths to slow his heartbeat, he said, "Jyn, I– I really like you–" Dammit that was the wrong way to start.

She looked suspicious and he could see her starting to close off.

"I mean I–" Fuck, why was his throat so dry?

"Cass, if there's something you want to say, just say it." She pulled her hair back and was straightening her clothes.

He could feel her pulling away from him. This was bad, this was terrible. Where was his notebook? He began feeling around for it, trying to remember what he'd written. "I want– I want to say… that, um, our relationship– I mean, I want–"

"What about our relationship?"

Fuck, her tone was definitely hostile now. His fingers folded around the notebook and he pulled it out from under him. Flustered and nervous, he overbalanced and nearly fell of the bed. Several things from his nightstand clattered to the floor as he tried to right himself. He opened the notebook and took a deep breath. "Jyn, I wanted to talk to you about us–"

"Oh my God, did you write a _breakup speech_?"

"No! No, that's not what this is! It's a–" He stopped, not sure where he was going. He didn't know _what_ he would call this? He started to feel a little panicky. Was there a word for it in English that he didn't know? Or he was just forgetting? _Shit balls_ _God fucking damn–_

Jyn snorted. He'd been silent for too long. "Call it what you want," she said. "I know what it is. Don't call me." And just like that, before he could do anything, she slid off his bed, picked up her bag, and sailed out of his room.

 

* * *

 

"Cassian, it's going to be okay." Leia was sitting in his desk chair, leaning over the bed.

"No it's not." His face was buried in his pillow and his words were muffled, but Leia seemed to understand.

"Yes, it _will_. I know it sucks now, but you'll get over it."

"No I won't."

Leia groaned and leaned back. "I don't even know why I'm here. I'm supposed to be mad at you. It's your fault half the campus knows about me and Han."

Cassian began to feel a bit guilty at that. Perhaps he should stop acting like a five-year-old throwing a tantrum. Maybe he shouldn't've had that last shot tequila at happy hour with Luke. Especially since he still had class tomorrow, even if it didn't start until 11:30. Leia had been helping him sober up since he got back, but it wasn't helping the lingering depression.

"Sorry about that," he said into the pillow.

Leia sighed. "I said I'd be there for you if Jyn turned you down, so I suppose I'll have to be mad at you later."

"She didn't."

"What?"

Cassian turned his head to the side. "She didn't turn me down."

Leia froze in the middle of pouring him more water from her Britta filter. "Then what happened? What are we even doing here wallowing?"

He sighed. "It's because I'm an idiot."

"Well, we knew that."

"I mean I _tried_ to ask her out but I got so _nervous_ it never came out right and she thought I was breaking up with her so she left."

"And you didn't follow her?"

"She said not to call."

Leia reached over and smacked the back of his head.

" _Ow_."

"You're such a dope."

He rubbed his head. "Thanks."

"I mean, if she thought you were breaking up with her, she clearly thought there was something to break up, which means you had _nothing to worry about_."

Cassian covered his face. "God dammit."

"Do you know where the Fight Club house is?"

He nodded. He'd scouted it out as soon as he recovered from mono.

"So _get over there_."

"But– she said–"

"Because she thought you were rejecting her, which you're _not_." Leia stood up and grabbed his arm. With an impressive amount of strength, she pulled him so his torso was halfway off the bed and he had to catch himself on the floor.

"What the hell?"

"So get up, and go over there, and fight for what you want."

Cassian groaned and flopped off the bed. As much as he wanted to see Jyn again, he also dreaded facing her. He couldn't stop thinking about the door of his room slamming behind her, or the image of her retreating back.

"Come on." Leia hauled him to his feet. "You're basically sober now, so tuck in your shirt, fix your hair– no, not like that– here, let me–" She reached up and expertly pulled her fingers through his hair, so it was mostly swept back with one strand hanging over his forehead. "And get your ass over to her place and make her understand. It's been less than 24 hours, you can still save this."

As if she'd lent him some of her courage, Cassian felt some resolve return to his stomach. "Okay. Yes. I can save this. I will save this."

"You're damn right you will."

Cassian bounced on his heels a bit and shook out his arms. A little high on the returning adrenaline, he suddenly leaned forward and kissed Leia on the cheek. "Thank you!"

She grimaced and wiped her face. "Eugh, save it for Erso." But he could see her grinning as he left.

 

By the time he realized he should've worn his blue parka, he was already halfway to her building. He was shivering when he knocked on her door.

A rather short, stubbly underclassman opened the door. "Who're you?"

"C-Cassian. Jyn's– uh, I came to see Jyn. Is she here?" His breath was coming in gasps that left clouds in front of his face.

"'The fuck you doing outside without a jacket?"

Real helpful, this kid. "Is Jyn here?"

"You her boyfriend?"

Cassian wanted to throttle him. "Can you just go _get_ her?"

"I guess–"

There was movement behind him. "Tivik, you're letting in the cold air."

Enough of this. Cassian pushed past Jyn's unhelpful housemate and into the living room. Jyn was sitting on one of several slumping couches in a sweatshirt and fuzzy pajama pants, several notebooks spread out on the stained coffee table in front of her.

She glared at Cassian as Tivik shuffled off into parts unknown. "What do you want?"

For half a second, Cassian was silent. He hadn't thought this far ahead. He had no plan, no notebook, no script. "You didn't let me finish last night," he blurted. "I wasn't trying to break up at all– just the opposite."

Her expression, no longer openly hostile, remained infuriatingly blank.

He took a step closer. "I wanted to ask you out on a date, a real one. At a– a nice restaurant, not in my dorm room."

She pursed her lips, like she wasn't sure whether to believe him.

He decided to just keep talking. It was hesitation that got him into trouble the last time, and he wasn't going to let that happen again. "I don't want to break up with you, Jyn. Not now, possibly not ever." He could feel his face getting red and he wished he had his notebook. Whatever came out next was going to be little more than word vomit, but he pressed on. "I wanted to ask you out on a date to make it official, so we could be _dating_ , because I want to be your boyfriend, if you'd like that. I still want to hang out and watch stupid sitcoms and Youtube videos and do eagles and piss off Leia, but I also want to go out sometimes, just the two of us. It doesn't have to be dinner at a restaurant, it can be whatever you want."

He swallowed and took a breath. "My point is, I really, really like you, Jyn. And I want you to know that. And know that if you feel the same way, I want to be real couple with you, and do things real couples do. Because I like you. I like being with you, I like laughing with you, I like seeing you smile, and I like the way you make me feel."

He refocused on her face, which had morphed into something like shock.

"Sorry. That was a lot."

She put her pencil down. "Is this… you asking me out?"

"Yes." Cassian closed his eyes and remembered the last part of his script. "Jyn, do you want to have dinner with me at 6:30 this Friday, at the Kafrene Bar and Grill?"

Jyn tapped her lips with her fingers and narrowed her eyes. "Mmm…"

Cassian thought his heart might beat its way out of his chest.

"…Yes."

"Great. Yes. Thank you." Cassian felt like he could finally breathe again and was suddenly dizzy at the rush of oxygen.

"But not at Kafrene."

"Okay. That's fine. It can be anywhere, wherever you like–"

"I actually really like that Thai place."

He felt a wide grin spread across his face, the pain of his chapped lips a distant sensation. "Me, too."

One side of her mouth finally twitched up. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Right here. I'll pick you up." He couldn't help it. His eyes slid down to her lips.

She noticed, because of course she did, and her smile grew wider, almost to her signature smirk. "Excited?"

"Very."

"Want to make out a bit before you go?"

"Oh, God yes."

**Author's Note:**

> Ending Credits Music:  
> "Everywhere" - Fleetwood Mac
> 
>    
> Opening scene based on an incident a few years ago when my boyfriend at the time gave me a piggyback ride while running around the hallway of our dorm. He wasn't the RA, and we didn't get a noise complaint, but it was super fun.
> 
> Sorry Wedge Antilles is a bit of a shit here… but don't we all have those dumb college friends?
> 
>  
> 
> In other news, I got a [tumblr](https://cats-and-metersticks.tumblr.com/)!! TinCanTelephone was taken so I'm cats-and-metersticks over there. Come check it out!


End file.
